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System and method for collaborative patient care

System and method for collaborative patient care description/claims

The present application claims benefit of priority to earlier filed provisional application, U.S. Application Ser. No. 60/825,850, filed on Sep. 15, 2006, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

In the health care industry, there are a number of professionals who provide services and care to patients who may be admitted to a care facility, such as a hospital. Because each of these professions has a unique set of skills and training, and unique sets of standards regarding care and treatment, crafting a common plan for the overall treatment and care of a patient can sometimes be problematic. The lack of a common and coherent plan for treatment of a patient can result in diminished confidence in the patient and their family in the course of treatment and a lack of efficiency in providing care and treatment.

That lack of efficiency in the treatment plan and the provision of treatment can lead to increased stays in hospital and also to increased costs and disruption of service to other patients.

In conventional medical practice, multiple treatment or care plans may be written for each patient. However, conventionally, these plans are not developed at the same time and based on the information from the patient. It is this lack of commonality and coherence between the different treatment or care plans that the present disclosure seeks to address.

It has been noted in statistical research regarding the quality and efficacy of health care in the U.S. that as many as 98,000 people die in U.S. hospitals each year as a result of errors. Further, it is estimated that as many as sixty-five patients out of every one thousand patients treated may suffer injury or illness as a consequence of their treatment. These statistics point to a need to improve the provision of health care provided in a hospital or health care facility setting.

Improvements to the planning and execution of patient care plans are desirable.

The present disclosure relates generally to improvements in the establishment of patient care plans and the execution of patient care plans. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a coordinated, collaborative approach to the development of a patient care plan at the admission of a patient to hospital and may include a plurality of healthcare professionals in the development of the plan. The present disclosure also relates to an approach to executing the patient care plan during the patient's stay in hospital with specific milestones established before transitioning the treatment from one stage of the care plan to the next stage of the care plan.

FIG. 1 is a diagram of an overall patient care plan structure according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a table of metrics and categories of improvement that may be addressed by the patient care plan of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a list of care objectives to be met for a patient at a first tollgate of a patient care plan developed according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a listing of elements to be addressed in the first tollgate corresponding to the objectives of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a listing of care objectives to be met for the patient between the first tollgate of FIG. 4 and a second tollgate of the patient care plan developed according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a listing of elements to be addressed in the second tollgate corresponding to the objectives of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a listing of care objectives to be met for the patient between the second tollgate of FIG. 6 and a third tollgate of the patient care plan developed according to the present disclosure.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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